Finishing options abound for Irish

October 21, 2006|TOM NOIE Tribune Staff Writer

Executing end-game situations remains an important part of the Notre Dame men's basketball practice plan, especially after what the Irish experienced last season. With the ball in Chris Quinn's hands, Notre Dame had chances to win at least five games, only to see the former point guard's last-second decision and/or shot fall short. With Quinn gone, sophomore Kyle McAlarney steps into the quarterbacking controls for the closing seconds, but not necessarily as an automatic for option 1 or 1A. Over the last few days, with a specific game situation on the board that had the white (starters) squad tied or trailing late, McAlarney has moved in a variety of ways. He's taken the last shot and made it. Missed it, too. He's found senior shooting guard Colin Falls, who's worked free off a screen, for a jumper. He's asked senior wing guard Russell Carter to drive it. McAlarney has pressed the issue down the gut before distributing to forwards Rob Kurz or Luke Zeller popping open. Freshman guard Tory Jackson also has shown the strength to create when points are needed. "We really didn't have as many options last year," coach Mike Brey said Friday afternoon as the basketball office bustled with pre-UCLA football buzz. "What can help us is usually, with the right lineup, we have four guys on the court who can make a shot, and sometimes five." Whose number gets called in the closing seconds? It may depend who's on the floor and what the defense is willing to give up, yet the common denominator has been McAlarney, whose confidence reservoir knows no end. "Everything is read to find the open guy if they cheat on it," Brey said. "When you can reverse to a guy that can make a shot, that's pretty good. And I think we have that." A gift of thanks Had it not been for financial aid offered by the University of Notre Dame some 50 years ago, Vincent J. Naimoli guessed that he might not have been able to afford college. A 1959 graduate who also sent two daughters through Notre Dame, Naimoli recently gave something back to the university in the form of $5 million, the second-largest lead gift toward the renovation of the Joyce Center's south dome. The arena's new 16,500-square foot club and hospitality section, which will include private seating for 800, will be named for Naimoli, a former owner and chief executive officer of the Tampa Bay Devils Rays. Naimoli and Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White met with area media Friday afternoon in the Joyce Center auditorium. "This is a very significant piece to the project," White said. "Every time this institution asks the Naimolis to help, they step up and they help." Naimoli and his wife, Lenda, also have assisted with funding for the university's Mendoza College of Business and grants-in-aid programs. "This is my form of giving back, my form of thanking the institution for a fine education and basically allowing me to go forward and make some money on things," said Naimoli, a Tampa, Fla., resident who counts football and baseball as his first sports of choice. "The school had a need." A mechanical engineering major who also coached intramural football, Naimoli reflected Friday on memories of his undergraduate days at Notre Dame, and one wintry day during his senior year. "I went to class at 9 o'clock in the morning," he said. "At 12 o'clock, classes were dismissed because we had 29 inches of snow." Earlier this month, 1969 Notre Dame graduate and former Morgan Stanley chairman and chief executive officer Philip J. Purcell III donated $12.5 million toward work on the arena, which will be known as Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Notre Dame remains $2.7 million short of raising the $24.7 million to refurbish the 38-year-old building. Home cooking Notre Dame returned to campus Thursday afternoon following three quick days and two nights in Indianapolis. Brey proclaimed the program's decision to get away for fall break and practice at Conseco Fieldhouse a success. Everyone involved, from new assistant coach Gene Cross to the senior managers to the team's four freshmen, experienced the road routine. The players enjoyed some free time out of the hotel after practice Wednesday while Brey and his staff visited with former Irish shooting guard Matt Carroll. Now a member of the Charlotte Bobcats, Carroll was in town for an NBA exhibition game against the Indiana Pacers. Carroll spoke with the Irish men's basketball team during dinner, then stayed around to break down tape of practice, something he told Brey that the Bobcats have not done once this preseason. Carroll, whose contract option was picked up for $1.18 million by Charlotte in the offseason, scored 11 points with two rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench in a loss to the Pacers.